Experimental sponge chambers used by Aquarius aquanauts to investigate the bioenergetics of Callyspongia vaginalis at Conch Reef.
Sponge Chambers Video of an experimental chamber used by a team of Aquarius aquanauts led by Dr. Patterson that investigated the bioenergetics of a sponge common at Conch Reef, Callyspongia vaginalis. This species is interesting as it has several characters that show great phenotypic plasticity. It is also is a great model species for experiments like these, as tubular sections can be cut from a host colony, and later reattached to the reef in transplant experiments, to examine the role of environmental vs. genetic effects on core physiological processes like growth.
